


Second Chance

by katofthenorth



Series: Finally, Some Good Effing Food [3]
Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Chen is 10/10 good guy, Li Li is a little shite, Sylvanas is a sad girl, pre Table for Two, slight angst, time in Pandaria
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23587918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katofthenorth/pseuds/katofthenorth
Summary: After Chen takes her into his home, Sylvanas struggles to find her purpose.I've got all this free time now, and I was rereading Food Wars and was slapped with inspiration.
Series: Finally, Some Good Effing Food [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1440592
Comments: 12
Kudos: 45





	Second Chance

Sylvanas rolled over on the couch, desperate to hide from the sun that pierced through the blinds of the living room window. She still had become reacquainted with the sun after all of the dim months she had spent in Northrend. Compared to that, the sunny days in Pandaria were blinding. She would have gone back to sleep if it weren’t for the intense feeling that she was being watched. With a grunt, Sylvanas rolled back over, baring her fangs at the little girl who was watching her from the doorway. “Your uncle told you to leave me alone, Li Li,” she hissed, trying to scare the girl off, “piss off and let me sleep.”

Li Li huffed, planting her hands on her hips, “for a guest you are very rude. And besides, Uncle Chen can’t make me do anything! He is too soft for that,” she stuck out her tongue to accentuate her point. 

Sylvanas sat up slowly, uncaring of how Chen’s shirt slid off her shoulder, exposing her bony frame, “he can’t but I’m sure I could.”

As if sensing the growing tension, Chen came into view, placing a large hand on Li Li's head, “what have I told you about poking the bear, Li Li?” he asked sternly. 

“The bear seems more like a kitten,” Li Li said before lowering her voice, “why did you bring a stray home if all she is going to do is sleep and be a grump?”

“Li Li,” Chen warned, ushering her away when Sylvanas actually did hiss. He turned his attention back to Sylvanas once he was sure his niece was gone. “She isn’t wrong, you know,” he sighed, “you are here in the heart of Pandaria and you have yet to so much as venture into my yard.”

“I didn’t ask you to drag me down here,” Sylvanas said, refusing to meet his eyes, “I would have been fine in Northrend.”

“You and I both know that that is not true,” Chen’s voice was soft but his eyes blazed, “you most certainly would not have been.” He gestured to her, “look at yourself, skin and bones. Even if you had managed to talk yourself out of your plan you would have starved or frozen.” He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose, “at the very least feed yourself,” he paused before adding, “more than just bread. As I have told you before, my house is your house. Please help yourself to my kitchen.”

“I don’t need any more charity from you,” Sylvanas muttered, “as soon as I’m stable I’ll be out of your hair.” 

Chen shook his head, “if that is what you wish, I will not stop you. You are not a prisoner here.” He turned to leave before checking over his shoulder, “I mean it. Eat. I’ll be in the brewery working on my new line, so if you need anything—,”

“Just… just go,” Sylvanas said. She waited until the door clattered shut before forcing herself to her feet. She swayed slightly on her feet before shuffling to the kitchen. She rooted through the cabinets, trying to find something that bordered on bread. Something enough to keep her going for another day. 

She found a stash of instant noodles and swiped a pack. She squinted as she looked over the packaging, trying to discover the flavouring. She had only been in the country for a few weeks and had yet to pick up on any of the language. She scowled at the package as if it had made the choice to not be written in Thalassian or Common just to spite her. 

Fine, if flavour would not make itself known to her, then she would just make her own. It was one of the very few things she was at least passable at, having had to be creative to get her siblings to eat anything after— No. she shut that line of thought down before it could strangle her. She shoved thoughts of them to the farthest recesses of her mind, gripping the counter as she slowly counted back from ten. Only when she felt that her emotions were back under control did she return her attention to her task.

The labels on the various spices she discovered also devoid of any Common writing, or labels in general, for that matter. Her ears flicked back in annoyance as she arranged the various jars out on the counter for inspection. Chili powder, that one she knew for sure. She set the jar to the side and continued. She opened them each in turn, inhaling the scents deeply in her attempt to discern the contents. 

She nearly dropped the jar she had been holding when a voice piped up from the door that led into the yard, “what are you doing?”

Sylvanas wheeled around, baring her fangs at Li Li, as is in hopes that this time she would scare the child off. Of course she had no such luck. She set the jar down with a heavy sigh, “didn't your uncle teach you that it is rude to sneak up on people?”

“Of course he did,” Li Li said, making her way into the kitchen. “But that doesn't make it any less fun. So, what are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Sylvanas grumbled.

“Inhaling cumin,” Li Li shrugged.

“Cumin?” Sylvanas looked at the jar again, giving it another smell. “Ah, so it is,” she set the cumin to the side with the chili powder, they would go well together. The longer she went about her task, the more aware she became of Li Li’s presence. “What do you want?”

“You're making noodles, yeah?” Li Li asked, “could you make me some?”

“Could I make-- no!” Sylvanas said, “it's not my job to feed pesky kids. Go make a peanut butter sandwich if you're hungry.”

But Li Li didn't leave. Instead, she went back to the cupboard where Sylvanas had found the noodles and got another pack. “You have a vegetable one there so you can just put a second one in the same pot for me.”

“You did hear me say that I wasn't going to cook your food, right?” Sylvanas asked.

Li Li nodded, “I decided to ignore you. I like my noodles with carrots and eggs mixed in. Do you?”

Sylvanas looked up and silently asked what she had done to deserve this kind of punishment. “Fine,” she relented, “you win. Does your uncle have any frozen veg?” she asked as she filled up a pot. When Li Li nodded she said, “grab the bag and four eggs.”

As the water began to boil, Sylvanas dumped in the seasoning packets and the small blend of spices she had selected. Once the noodles were in the water, Sylvanas looked at Li Li out of the corner of her eye, “you said you like eggs in your noodles. Do you want them dropped in with them or cooked on the side?”

Li Li made a show of thinking about it before smiling widely, “cooking them separately seems like more work for you. I’ll get the frying pan.”

“Little shit,” Sylvanas grumbled as she drizzled a bit of oil in the pan and cracked the eggs into it, though she said it with the barest hint of a smile. The eggs were done at the same time as the noodles and she meticulously divided the noodles and broth between the two bowls before topping them with the eggs. Sylvanas carefully carried them to the table, trading Li Li a bowl for a pair of chopsticks. She struggles with the chopsticks, the noodles slipping free with each attempt. A laugh from across the table had Sylvanas glaring over at Li Li, “something funny?”

“You. It is no wonder all you eat is bread. Can't even handle your chopsticks,” Li Li said, downing another mouthful of noodles to rub it in.

“I’ve never had to use them before,” Sylvanas grumbled, her ears lowering.

Li Li hums in thought, “I could teach you the way that Uncle Chen taught me,” she offered.

After a few more failed attempts, Sylvanas tossed the chopsticks onto the table in defeat, “fine. Fine, teach me.”

Hopping down from her seat, Li Li hurried off to find an elastic. She wrapped the elastic around it in a way that kept them together, but not too tightly as to make them unusable. She put them in Sylvanas’ hand, positioning her fingers in the proper way. “There, try it now.” She clapped when Slyvanas finally managed to pick up a piece of egg, “see? It's easy.” Sylvanas just shook her head, a smile slowly stretching across her face as she ate quickly.

They washed the dishes together when they were done and Sylvanas allowed Li Li to drag her out into the yard. It was blindingly bright outside in the yard and Sylvanas had to squint against it. It was a shameful thing, for a Quel’dorei to be so adverse to the sun's light. She sat in the grass next to Li Li listening with half an ear as the little girl rambles on about her dreams for the future. It's endearing, Sylvanas has to admit, to listen to someone talk about the future with such joy. About all of the sites she would see, the things she would do. Sylvanas tried to remember the last time she had looked to the future to see anything but despair. 

She wrapped a hand around one of her arms, frowning at how she could actually touch her finger to her thumb. When had she allowed herself to get so thin? Her ears slowly drooped as her eyes misted over. She hadn't wanted to see it, the truth of Chen’s words. How had she allowed herself to wither away to this husk of her former self? She lowered her head and fingers into her hair and tugged it sharply as a sob wracked her body. She wailed out her grief for herself and everything she had lost.

Li Li looked at Sylvanas in shock. She scrambled to her feet and reached out to try her best to offer Sylvanas some amount of comfort, but recoiled when another wail rattled its way out of the elf. She was at a loss for what to do. She bounced from foot to foot until she heard the tell-tale sounds of Chen singing boisterously to himself as he made his way up the hill from the brewery. “Uncle Chen!” she called as she ran to meet him at the gate. “Somethings wrong with her!” she said in a rush, “I didn't say anything I swear! She just… I pulled her outside and she just started crying!”

Chen looked over and allowed himself a small sad smile, “it's alright Li Li, she is finally healing.” He squeezed his niece’s shoulder, “go and get some tea on.” As she scurries off, Chen walked over and crouched down next to her. He was unfazed when Sylvanas turned and buried her face into his chest. Chen wrapped his arms around Sylvanas and held her, rocking side-to-side, “you’re going to be okay, Sylvanas. Come on, you can reacquaint yourself with the sun tomorrow.” He helped her into the house and tucked her comfortably into his bed.

Her sobs had subsided by the time he returned with a steaming cup of tea. “Li Li told me you cooked her lunch,” he said softly.

Sylvanas nodded, taking a slow sip, “I did.”

“And she told me that you were smiling,” Chen continued. In the time he had known Sylvanas, he had not once seen her smile. A far cry from the woman he had come across on the viewing deck of the Citadel. He reached out and took her hand, “there is a culinary school, here in the Valley. Maybe you could apply there?”

Sylvanas stared down at her tea, her ears twitching as she thought. She did like cooking, she really did, and the opportunity to be able to turn that into a living was so very tempting but, there was a problem. “I don't have any money,” she said bitterly, “at least none that I have access to.”

“Hmm, that is a problem,” Chen agreed. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll make you a deal. You work on getting yourself better, on taking care of yourself and getting your strength back, maybe pick up a shift here and there at the brewery, and I’ll pay your tuition.”

“What?” Sylvanas snapped her gaze over to Chen, her ears shooting up, “that's too much,” she protested, “If you've already done so much for me, I couldn't ask you for this.”

“You're not asking,” Chen said calmly, “I’m offering. And it isn't like you won't pay me back.”

Sylvanas frowned, “you hardly know me, how can you have so much faith in me?”

“I know you enough,” Chen said, “I know that you are just a kid--,”

“We’re pretty much the same age,” Sylvanas protested.

“Hush now the adult is talking,” Chen laughed. “You have been dealt a bad hand, I don't need all of the details to know that you wouldn't have been in Northrend if you had any other place to go. This is a place for you to go.”

“Fine,” Sylvanas agreed at length. She glanced back at Chen, almost nervously, “thank you, Chen. For everything.”


End file.
